The petition of John Clarke of Glazebrook, Lancashire, Epiphany 1659
To the right hono[u]rable Justices
Yo[u]r peti[ti]oner humbly greeting &c. I will not offend you w[i]th supperfluous Oratory nor bee a Sycophant to your virtue the world is well enough acquainted and needs noe pretended Herauld to proclaime yow prudent and pious, may it cohere w[i]th your pleasure that your poore peti[ti]oner might bee sufferred to bee an Inhabitant in the towne where hee was borne & his father liued many years possessed of a certaine Cottage in Glasebrooke, w[hi]ch in the absence of yo[u]r peti[ti]oner decayed (being in the states service) all that your peti[ti]oner desireth and humbly requesteth is that hee might either build a Cottage of his owne where heretofore there was one in his Ancesto[r]s time given by the Cheife Lord or otherwise hee may bee sufferred to take some place to Inhabit in w[i]thin the said towne that w[i]th hard toyle and worke hee may provide for himselfe and his family of late I beene constrained to maynteyne my sister haueine beene visited w[i]th sicknes and poverty in her affliction soe that I haue beene constrained to sell my clothes for her mayntenance soe that I hope seeing my constraint my petition will bee granted. I shall remaine still bound to pray for your worshipps happines.
John Clarke